Who is singing the sad love song
- Poetry of Nalan Xingde

《采桑子》

- Last updated: 2024-03-24 15:36:54

中文原文

谁翻乐府凄凉曲？

风也萧萧，雨也萧萧，瘦尽灯花又一宵。

不知何事萦怀抱？

醒也无聊，醉也无聊，梦也何曾到谢桥。

English Translation

Who is singing the sad love song?

wind is lonely,rain is lonely,

after a night,my shadow is thin as the candle.

What is haunting my soul?

waking is lonely,sleep is lonely,

after a life,i still can't have you as my girl.

By Nalan Xingde

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

List of Chinese poets